


I'll meet you in spring

by fiveblessings



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mpreg, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:35:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26823007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiveblessings/pseuds/fiveblessings
Summary: The facts are blindingly obvious. Jungwoo wants a baby and can carry one, Doyoung wants a baby but can’t carry one, all the while neither of them have respective partners to conceive a baby with.It’s a little like puzzle pieces finally clicking together when Jungwoo realises it,why can’t we just have a baby together?
Relationships: Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Kim Jungwoo
Comments: 24
Kudos: 151





	1. Chapter 1

Kim Doyoung comes to a profound realisation at 2:34 pm while sitting in the break room at work; he wants a baby.

This isn’t a particularly new insight for Doyoung, he’s known he’s wanted children for as long as he can remember. He was one of those kids that used to baby his friends' little siblings whilst the others did their best to ignore them, the teen that every parent had wanted to babysit their kids. A deep yearning inside of him for something he didn’t yet have.

What is new, however, is the realisation that he wants them now. The unquestioned plan in Doyoung’s head had always been to finish school, get a stable job and a good house, find his other half and then have children. Doyoung’s done a good pretty job at ticking most of these off of the list. At 30, he’s risen to the position of senior partner in his law firm with an income far more than enough to support himself, living comfortably in his duplex apartment on the south side of the Han. The only part he’s missing is a significant other.

It’s his coworker, Seulgi, that he really has to thank for this eye-opener. He and the rest of the firm had just finished their little celebration saying goodbye to Seulgi before she goes on maternity leave. Doyoung had been preoccupied scarfing down a slice of his cake when he had overheard the woman talking to Baekhyun from human resources about the process of going through IVF as a prospective single parent.

It’s a little silly, Doyoung thinks, that for a man as smart as himself it took him this long to have such an epiphany. He doesn’t _need_ another person to complete his arbitrary checklist before he has a baby of his own when in reality he already has everything he needs to fulfil himself. His family and close-knit friends are already there to give him the emotional support he and a new baby would require, so there’s no need for Doyoung to search for it in a romantic partner he had no real desire to find.

There’s a strange ringing in his ears as he makes his way back to his desk, his feet moving on autopilot. It’s a little crazy to think that such a menial barrier had been stopping him from reaching something so profound, everything feels a little lighter now, the weight he didn’t know was there lifted off his chest.

It’s hard for Doyoung to focus on his work for the rest of the day with how giddy he feels. Mark, one of the firm’s associates shadowing him, keeps throwing him slightly concerned looks at the manic grin that keeps slipping onto his face at regular intervals. After an unproductive 2 hours, Doyoung gives in and decides to clock out early, Jaehyun gives him a curious wave at the way he stumbles out, practically tripping his way into the elevator.

Doyoung knows he himself can’t carry any children, he doesn’t have the right anatomy, and without a willing partner in the picture, the next most obvious option for him to turn to is finding a surrogate. This is how he finds himself taking a detour to a sexual health clinic on his way to the subway, bag now full of pamphlets on the subject.

Back in his apartment, Doyoung can finally breathe, the leaflets spread out on his kitchen countertop as he fishes around for the one that looks most relevant to begin with. By the looks of it, he’ll have to go through a surrogacy agency, there are fees he’d have to front of course, but they won’t be a problem for Doyoung.

Eyes scanning the little black print, Doyoung’s mind begins to drift. He’ll have to tell his family and friends of course, but it’s more a matter of whether he should do it before or after there’s actually a baby on the way. It would be nice to have someone to confide in though, a close friend he could vent his worries to, a role that usually fell to-

“Happy Takeaway Tuesday!” 

He should have expected Jungwoo to turn up at his apartment unannounced, it’s the norm for them anyway, spending as much time in the others home as they do their own.

Jungwoo is Doyoung’s closest friend, they’ve been attached at the hip since they were in primary school when the two boys met. Jungwoo’s family had moved next door to him when he was 11 years old and despite the 2-year difference in their age, the pair clicked instantaneously. Where Doyoung was sharp-tongued and often too serious, Jungwoo was light-hearted and easygoing, rather than being annoyed by his competitive tendencies Jungwoo found them endearing. He calmed him down when he was anxious, held him when he was sad. Jungwoo was the definition of easy to love and Doyoung often thought the boy made him easier to love too.

It’s not that much of a surprise either that friends as close as they are for as long as they have been slip into one another's bed as well. It had come naturally as they grew up together, seeking one another out for sexual needs as well as emotional ones, so frequently so that Doyoung can barely remember a time when Jungwoo wasn’t so open to him, body and soul.

Whilst other friends had come and gone, Jungwoo had stuck with Doyoung like glue. He’d always been there for him, from his graduation to when he moved into his first home and hopefully, he still would be now.

“I had a couple of vouchers for that Chinese place you like so I called in there on the way over to save us the wait. I got you chicken this time, I hope you don’t mind, you said the pork was a little too tough last time. Hey, I saw the cutest dog outside while I was waiting, it had a little pink coat on, I was thinking I should get one for Obok. Hey! are you even listening-”

Here goes nothing. “I’m going to have a baby.”

That manages to shut Jungwoo up, if only for a second. “Huh? Did you knock someone up? Since when have you been sleeping around? You didn’t tell me anything about this.” He says indignantly.

“Hey, Kim Jungwoo! I didn’t knock anyone up! I mean I’m _going_ to have a baby.”

The blank look on his face makes Doyoung giggle, he feels a lot less anxious now than he had earlier, Jungwoo’s mannerisms naturally have that effect on him. He grabs one of the more relevant leaflets from under the takeaway bags and waves it in front of Jungwoo’s face. “I’m going to find a surrogate so I can have a baby.”

“Oh, well, this is new. Since when have you been thinking about this?”

“Like 4 hours ago.”

“God Hyung, you really are determined huh.” Doyoung puffs out his chest, he’s not sure it’s a compliment but he’ll take it as one either way. “Come on, let's go eat this food before it goes cold and then you can tell me about it.”

Doyoung falls into place, following behind Jungwoo as he leads them to the living room floor. It reminds him of when he was young, Doyoung bringing Jungwoo food to his dorm room when he was in his first year at college, still fresh-faced and nervous. They’ve both come a long way from then but sometimes Doyoung thinks they haven’t changed much at all, still bound to one another like when they were kids.

Regrettably, Jungwoo still eats like he did when he was younger too, scarfing down his noodles like a man starved. It takes the edge off a bit, makes it feel like it's any other Tuesday with Jungwoo and not like he’s about to be grilled on the logistics of what Doyoung’s plans to do with his sperm the second they’ve finished eating.

Containers now cleared, Jungwoo fixes Doyoung with a pointed look. Doyoung knows exactly what it means, Doyoung’s gonna have to answer all of Jungwoo’s questions without fail or the younger will think up some terrible consequence for him, usually, it’s tickling. It's both a curse and blessing that they know each other so well they can speak outside of words.

“You know how much I want kids Woo,” Doyoung starts. If anyone knows how much Doyoung wants children, it’s Jungwoo. Kind, patient Jungwoo who listens with a smile on his face as Doyoung gushes about how cute the kids he saw at the park today were, how jealous he feels when he sees new parents parading their newborns in their strollers, how much he longs to see a miniature version of his own wide eyes staring up at him.

“Yes, of course, but you always have. What’s changed now?”

“I just realised something is all, I’ve been holding myself back from pursuing something that will make me happy, _more_ _than happy_ , just because I don’t have a partner to have a baby with.”

“So you want to do it anyway? Even if you’ll be on your own?”

Doyoung smiled, it’s crazy to think about how his mind was on the same tracks only yesterday, but then again a lot can change in a day. “But I won’t be on my own, I already have everything I need.”

Jungwoo’s smile is so sweet, so warm, that Doyoung knows the other boy must understand. “Weird you didn’t think of this earlier, Hyung.”

Doyoung laughs, “I thought the same thing, This whole time it’s just been staring me in the face.”

Jungwoo hums and shoves a prawn cracker in his mouth. “So what’s next then?”

“I’ll need to find a suitable surrogate,” Doyoung gestures to the leaflets behind him. “It says that that could take up to 6 months.”

“You want to get started as soon as possible then?”

Doyoung nods. “Yep, I mean what’s there to wait for?”

“You’re 100% sure about this? It’s a big deal you know, no take-backs.”

“Yes Woo, I’m sure. I don’t think I’ve ever been this sure about something.” It sounds crazy but he genuinely sounds happier already just at the thought that it’s now a real possibility that in a year's time Doyoung could be sitting in the same spot on his sofa with a baby in his arms.

And Jungwoo can see it all too well too, just how Doyoung would suit being a dad. The man just has a natural affinity for children, it would be a cruelty not to let him have this.

Snuggling into Doyoung’s side, Jungwoo lets himself picture what Doyoung’s thinking about as he flips through the papers in his lap with an absent smile on his lips. Doyoung’s white rug covered in toys, a pretty bassinet in the corner, big round eyes gazing up at them.

Jungwoo’s working from home today. It’s nice out, far too nice for Jungwoo to be cooped up in his office and really he has no reason to be, it’s Friday and he’s virtually wrapped up everything he needed to do that week. Yet here he is looking at next week's schedule like a man possessed.

The worst thing is Jungwoo knows exactly why he’s overworking himself. It’s a defence mechanism of sorts, to throw himself into his work as a distraction when his mind is occupied by things he’s not quite ready to confront yet.

But it’s been over 3 weeks now and where in the beginning Jungwoo’s mind had been successfully busied by his hyper-productivity now he just feels exhausted, the numbers and diagrams on his screen blurring as his thoughts drift. He’s tempted to do overtime on Saturday like he had last week but his supervisor, Kun, had already grilled him on the phone that morning after hearing the raggedy edge to his voice and would probably stage a home invasion if Jungwoo decided to pile more work on his plate.

Usually, when Jungwoo’s mind is wrapped up worrying about something he’d seek out Doyoung who understands him better than anyone else and always has the knack of knowing exactly what to say to make him unwind. But herein lies the problem; Doyoung is so tangled up in Jungwoo’s current headache that if he tried to unravel it Doyoung would probably end up getting snagged somewhere along the line. 

So here Jungwoo is and has been since that fateful Tuesday a couple of weeks ago. Exhausted and no less better for it, still weighed down by the thoughts on his mind that had crept up on him slowly then all at once, a weight that only seems to be getting heavier as time passes.

The problem is Jungwoo, just like Doyoung, wants kids. He always has done. The day he’d held his sister's newborn when he was still in high school Jungwoo had understood the feelings in his chest and exactly what they meant. Every time he thought about holding his own child in his arms he’d felt such warmth and comfort, elation at how one day it would be a reality, a painful emptiness about how that day wasn’t now.

And these thoughts, these feelings had persisted, a constant presence at the back of his mind that he doesn’t have to focus on yet he always knows they’re there. He’s never been shy to voice these desires to others either, so much so his friends in high school used to tease him that the second he became an adult he’d be having kids of his own. Although, these days when he’s around Doyoung he doesn’t bring it up as often as he used to, not wanting to sadden the other boy who’s a lot more proactive yet still unsuccessful in his efforts to start a family, but no matter how little he decides to verbalise it the feeling certainly hasn’t gone away.

While he’s always known with overwhelming certainty that one day the right time would come that he’d be expecting a baby, what had shocked him was that that day in the future he’d so often thought about was all of a sudden so close. A distant concept suddenly seeming so real and tangible. Jungwoo wanted kids now and while he wasn’t expecting it to be, Doyoung’s surprise declaration had been the catalyst, sparking the dormant need inside Jungwoo into one that burns so brightly it keeps him awake at night.

Normally, the longing for children of his own is enough to ignore but these days it’s so intense Jungwoo struggles to let his mind rest without it circling back to the same place. Most nights his yearning’s starting to bleed through into his unconscious, dreams playing behind his eyelids of him expecting or with a baby already in his arms. Waking up to reality has even started to feel increasingly bleak.

How exactly he’d be having children isn’t something he dwells on too much, adopting a more ‘go with the flow’ attitude. He supposes other people would find it a little odd how Jungwoo was so focused on having kids when he had never cared much for dating and starting a family through that route. The most obvious answer to him had been IVF, until a few weeks ago when Doyoung had brought up his own plans.

Poor, sweet Doyoung probably has no idea the chain reaction he’s set off in Jungwoo, and if he is aware he’s kind enough to let Jungwoo gather his thoughts before he grills him on it. But now that the ideas entered his head Jungwoo can’t shake it no matter how hard he tries. 

The facts are blindingly obvious, Jungwoo wants a baby and can carry one, Doyoung wants a baby but can’t carry one while neither of them have respective partners to conceive a baby with. It’s a little like puzzle pieces finally clicking together when Jungwoo realises it, _why can’t we just have a baby together?_

It’s most likely that the thought never crossed Jungwoo’s mind before because Doyoung spoke often enough about some unnamed somebody that he’d eventually have a child with that Jungwoo’s mind automatically didn’t calculate any room for him in the equation, but now with Doyoung’s gaze shifted to surrogacy the space Doyoung had been trying to fill no longer exists, or more accurately to Jungwoo, a space is now available for him to fill.

The prospect, now obvious to Jungwoo, is exciting him in a way he doesn’t think he’s ever felt before, but his mood only stays high and hopeful for a little while before it’s dampened again. Jungwoo might be all for having a baby with Doyoung but it takes two and he has no idea if Doyoung would be too.

He’s not got much experience to take a good enough guess to his reaction either. The two of them are as thick as thieves and there’s little Jungwoo can say that he doesn’t know about the other but, if course, having a baby with your best friend is too say the least kind of a niche subject that even Jungwoo and Doyoung, close as they are, haven’t breached.

Perhaps this is the one place in their relationship that they lack in, even after sleeping with Doyoung for god knows how long, after hearing some of the words that would slip through Doyoung’s mouth when he’d come in him, Jungwoo had never entertained the second thought to press Doyoung about his low whispers about fucking his come into him so deep it’ll catch.

There’d always been a chance that Doyoung could get him pregnant anyway, an astronomically low chance seeing as how diligent Jungwoo is with his birth control but still a chance nonetheless. It would have seemed natural for the idea to cross his mind enough for him to properly consider it but Doyoung is nothing if not single-minded, and Jungwoo, however subconsciously, had felt that such an event would be far too intrusive of his plans.

So that’s where Jungwoo’s stuck and has been for the past fortnight. Caught between wanting to just ask Doyoung if he’d be as happy to have a baby with Jungwoo as he would be yet being afraid that Doyoung’s already cemented on his path, afraid he’ll say no. It’s only the loud ping of his phone that allows him to narrowly avoid spiralling over these thoughts for another half hour.

_that last agency got back to me :(_

_bad news?_

_yeah_

These texts from Doyoung are becoming an all too familiar part of Jungwoo’s day that he automatically knows where it’s going. Doyoung has told him sullenly that a lot of the agencies weren’t interested in providing their services for single parents while others, while accepting, still favoured couples inevitably pushing Doyoung to the bottom of their waiting list. It makes Jungwoo’s heart ache to hear of yet another no for Doyoung.

There’s no real need to ask Doyoung what the response was anymore, sometimes he doesn’t bother, letting the tone speak for itself but sometimes Jungwoo thinks it’s best to ask anyway, scared to give the impression that he sees Doyoung’s task as one that’s doomed to fail, so sure that the eventuality of a positive response is too unlikely to even conceive.

_oh doie :((( don't let it get u down there's still tons of places to look into_

_i’ll make u dinner tonight do u want ur favourite?_

_yes please_

_ily woo_

_ily more_

_see u at 6_

Setting his phone down on his desk Jungwoo can’t hold back the deep, desperate sigh that escapes his lungs, letting his head hang back as his hands run nervously through his hair. He’s ashamed of how badly he wants to tell Doyoung to stop, that there’s no need for him to get hurt day after day when the solution to their problem lies right within Jungwoo. The thought probably hasn’t even crossed his mind though, Doyoung’s far too selfless to think of Jungwoo that way and even if he had thought about it he’d never ask.

Each text makes him more jittery than the last, a sharp worry piercing his chest in time with the rings of his notifications. Jungwoo hadn’t realised at first, or maybe he’d only started feeling this way more recently, that it’s not just Doyoung’s upset that makes him anxious but the fear that one day it really will be good news that he’s receiving. 

The guilt eats away at him little by little, when did Jungwoo become so selfish that the thought Doyoung’s success had become so intertwined with the conformation of Jungwoo’s loss that he can’t even fathom the thought of being happy for Doyoung without feeling as though he’s lost something, the pitiful rejection to a question he was too afraid to even ask.

It’s probably the speed at which Doyoung had jumped into his quest to get a surrogate that’s instilled some odd sense of urgency in Jungwoo, as though there’s a clock ticking for him to face the music before Doyoung inevitably finds what he’s looking for. He shouldn’t have expected any less when Doyoung was browsing websites next to him the day after he had told Jungwoo of his plans, typical Doyoung, always so driven. The trait usually endears him but now he can’t help feel a little bitter.

He’s been sat here static for so long that the desktop screen in front of him blinks to black, leaving Jungwoo staring into his faint reflection. He hadn’t realised he’d been frowning so much, skin creased where his eyebrows are trying to knit themselves together. Slowly, he lets his hand uncurl from its fist to smooth out the lines with his thumb, just like Doyoung used to do when they were in college, Doyoung comforting him as he poured over assignments he’d left far too late.

Jungwoo’s being ridiculous, overthinking the problem till his brain has managed to morph it into something daunting, a beast of wrong words and worries. Doyoung wouldn’t want him torn up like this, Doyoung who’s cared for Jungwoo since he was a kid, who would wipe his tears and sometimes even cry for him. Doyoung would want him to be open with him, even if it’s new, scary territory Doyoung wouldn’t mind. He always reached out to Jungwoo when his thoughts were drowning him and welcomed Jungwoo’s troubles with an open heart, one so big that sometimes Jungwoo doesn’t understand how it fits in his chest.

Even if it’s what Doyoung says isn't the answer Jungwoo wants to hear, at least he can count on Doyoung’s honesty, maybe hearing his rejection in words rather than as a default decision it would make Jungwoo’s longing drain him a little less, it would be hard to want a baby with Doyoung so badly if Doyoung didn’t want one in the first place, at least in theory.

There’s no use putting it off any longer, Jungwoo decides rather suddenly, his chair scraping on the wooden floor as he pulls away from the frowning face staring back at him as though his own runaway thoughts are taunting him, he’ll have to bring the proposition up to Doyoung sometime soon. It’s only going to bog him down more the longer he pushes the subject aside, every email Doyoung sends, every form he fills in is another turn on a clock he doesn’t realise he’s been winding, pushing forward some impending deadline that hangs over Jungwoo’s head like a raincloud.

It’ll only be so much longer too till Doyoung realises Jungwoo’s mind is elsewhere and that’s if he’s not picked up it already. Jungwoo knows if Doyoung knew about the way Jungwoo’s thoughts have been tying themselves in knots he’d no doubt be upset, it’s in the boy’s instincts to look out for Jungwoo’s wellbeing and the last thing Jungwoo wants to do is to make Doyoung think all the turmoil is his fault.

The rational part of Jungwoo’s brain seems to have found its voice, clear direction now sounding through Jungwoo’s head. He’s going to ask Doyoung this week, giving himself a few days to steal himself before he spills his guts, after all, how bad can the worst response be to put him off the chance of receiving the best?

Doyoung hadn’t been lying when he’d said he wanted to get started as soon as possible. The pile of miscellaneous leaflets had only grown was the addition of brochures and paperwork from the surrogacy agencies Doyoung had been in contact with.

It had been a little demoralising how quickly a lot of them had rejected him simply because he’d be the only parent. Jungwoo, who’d heard every rejection over the past month, could see how the news was affecting Doyoung, chipping down his resolve in little increments. It made Jungwoo burn with anger he wasn’t familiar with, how couldn’t they see how good of a parent Doyoung would be?

Jungwoo’s sat at Doyoung’s kitchen table again absentmindedly flicking through a discarded flier Doyoung had picked up by accident titled _So You Have Chlamydia, What Now?_ whilst Doyoung cooks for them. He has a faraway look on his face, one Doyoung knows he gets when he’s deep in thought. He knows it’s better not to disturb him just yet, to leave him with his thoughts till he’s ready to express them, so Doyoung lets the comfortable silence hang around them and continues cooking.

It must be serious with the amount of lip-biting Jungwoo manages whilst they eat, Doyoung can’t help but feel a little worried now about what’s troubling the younger. Thankfully, he doesn’t have to wait much longer before Jungwoo’s tugging his sleeve to get his attention. They’re curled up on Doyoung’s sofa, reruns playing on the TV as no one can be bothered to change the channel while Doyoung pours over more paperwork.

“Doie, I need to ask you something,” Doyoung’s chest clenches a little at the cautious tone of Jungwoo’s voice. He isn’t going to ask him to stop looking, is he? The rejections have been hard, without a doubt, but Doyoung’s nowhere near ready to give up and he certainly doesn’t want to continue without Jungwoo’s support.

“What’s wrong, Woo?” If Doyoung’s voice shakes a little he hopes Jungwoo doesn’t notice.

“I know this whole surrogacy thing has been harder for you than expected, so I’ve been thinking,” Doyoung holds his breath, “why don’t we have a baby together instead?”

 _What?_ “What?”

“Think about it Doie, we both want kids but we don’t have partners and this way you don’t have to deal with all these hoops these stupid surrogacy agencies are making you jump through.” Jungwoo’s voice is little by little getting more confident, his usual practised persuasion sneaking its way back into his tone.

“I didn’t realise you were ready for kids just yet. I mean, you’re only 28.”

“Hyung, you know I’ve always wanted to have kids. I didn’t think it would end up being now until, well, now, but I’m already financially stable and everything. It seems like the perfect opportunity doesn’t it?”

Jungwoo’s not wrong, his job in mechanical engineering is quite specialised so he’s paid well without having to pull extensive hours like he did when he was fresh out of university. Everything in Jungwoo’s life right now seems like steady sailing, calm waters well prepared for the waves that bringing a baby into them would make.

It almost does, now that Doyoung thinks about it, seem perfect, whenever the pair would talk about where they’d like to be when they had children their descriptions were almost identical to their situations now. Jungwoo especially, who always neglected to mention how a significant other would fit into his equation.

It’s not as though Jungwoo’s been looking to date either, in fact, he never has been. Aside from the boyfriend he had back in college and more commonly the casual fuck buddies that drifted in and out of the picture, although in recent years he hasn’t bothered with that either, Jungwoo has always seemed completely content with what he has. Jungwoo’s mum had raised him and his sister on her own too, perhaps that’s why it’s easier for him not to get weighed down with the idea of a traditional family unit the way Doyoung often unconsciously slips into.

The more he thinks, the more Jungwoo’s proposition makes sense, the pair would make good parents, that’s a given, but it would be so much easier for them and, though not essential, easier for a baby having the support of two parents, regardless of whether they’re together or not.

It’s a selfish thought but one Doyoung can’t ignore, how much easier the pregnancy would be if it was with someone Doyoung was close to rather than a stranger. Doyoung had feared he’d play such an insignificant role whilst his child was in the womb but if it were Jungwoo who was pregnant that wouldn’t be a problem. Doyoung spends a sizable chunk of his free time, and even some of his work hours, with the other boy so he could be beside him, providing for him, every step of the way.

“Are you sure you’ve thought about this, Woo?”

Jungwoo laughs, “I’ve been thinking about it since you said you wanted to look for a surrogate.”

“It’ll be…different, raising a child like this. Are you sure you, _we_ can do it?”

“Of course it’ll be different Doie, but when have we not been able to handle that?”

“Yeah, you’re right I just…” 

Jungwoo looks down at his hands clenched tightly in his lap. “You can say no if you don’t think it’ll work.”

“No! No, of course, I know that. I mean there will be things we need to work out but,” Doyoung’s heart beats steady and sure. “I’d really like to do this with you.”

“Really, Hyung?”

Doyoung laughs, a light pretty sound that Jungwoo loves. “Yes, Jungwoo. I mean there’s stuff we’ll have to figure out but If you’re sure about this then I am too.”

Jungwoo’s beaming now, the tension he hadn’t realised was pinching his shoulders now completely melted away. It’s amazing how _right_ this feels, like something has clicked into place, a veil finally lifting.

“Oh my god, Hyung, we’re gonna have a baby!” Doyoung pulls Jungwoo’s hands into his own, gripping them tightly and grins back.

“We should start trying now don’t you think?”

“You’re still on the pill though.”

“Practice run then?”

“...Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i can't for the life of me remember where but I read a prompt that was like best friends decide to have a baby together and eventually realise they're in love so.. here we are


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hiii i'm back!!!

Travelling to work next Monday doesn’t feel like a chore. In fairness, it hardly ever does, Jungwoo likes his job and his colleagues honestly feel like extended family, when they’re not trashing the break room that is. But this Monday, Jungwoo’s mood feels so high he doesn’t think anything could drag it down.

Nothing about his weekend was really too far from normal. Jungwoo normally spends part of his weekend at Doyoung’s or Doyoung at his. What’s different about this weekend was the context, the subtle shift from the reality of before to now, a warm undercurrent drifting in through a door that’s now been opened.

That’s why Jungwoo isn’t particularly shocked when Donghyuck, their little office’s assistant, comments on it, not that Jungwoo can be bothered to adjust the smile on his face anyway.

“Why are you looking so chipper? You didn’t forget about the deadline on Friday, right?” Donghyuck always comes to speak to Jungwoo when he arrives, ditching his own desk to lean against Jungwoo’s whilst the older settles in. 

“Of course I didn’t forget! I’m just in a good mood, that’s all.”

“At least _you_ didn’t. You're lucky you went home early Friday, “Jungwoo wasn’t home last Friday, he was at Doyoung’s again too but what’s the difference really? “It was chaos when I had to remind Yukhei about it.”

“It’s literally, like, half of your job to remind Yukhei about his deadlines.”

“I do other stuff too!” Donghyuck whines but Jungwoo knows it’s because he likes to play into the teasing.

“Like… making coffee?”

Donghyuck beams. “Exactly! Hey, Hyung, you want me to make you yours?”

“No, it’s okay, Hyuckie.” Jungwoo ruffles his hair before angling the younger boy’s shoulder to the corner of the office. “I think Kun might need one though.”

Ever since Donghyuck started at their little company almost a year ago he’s dutifully made Jungwoo his coffee each morning without fail. It’s most likely just a ploy for Donghyuck to do his rounds of collecting gossip that he can then spread around the office as the day drags on. Jungwoo’s not about to start complaining though, their previous secretary hadn’t been that interested in socialising at all and sometimes if Hyuck’s feeling generous he’ll depart some of his artfully gathered information to Jungwoo about their coworkers that he can use as blackmail for free drinks at their office parties.

Donghyuck had probably realised the second Jungwoo declined his offer that something was up, although he’s probably more suspicious that Jungwoo’s hiding something along the lines of gossip that he doesn’t want to spill while they chat and not that he just doesn’t want any extra caffeine for other reasons, namely something Jungwoo had read, and a bit gullibly believed, that too much caffeine isn’t good when you’re trying to conceive.

Fortune seems to be on Jungwoo’s side though as whatever’s going on in Kun’s office, Ten with his signature grin talking to an increasingly distressed looking Kun, piques Donghyuck’s interest more than Jungwoo’s sudden aversion, taking Jungwoo’s very unsubtle cue to go bother them instead.

It’s a lucky escape but its one that Jungwoo knows won’t last forever. The most problematic thing with being so close to Donghyuck is that no matter how elusive Jungwoo thinks he’s being, Donghyuck knows him well enough to see right through him. He can probably pick up on things, little shifts from one activity to another that Jungwoo would never have even thought of, not that Donghyuck would ever reveal his trade secrets anyway. 

Normally, Jungwoo wouldn’t even care that Hyuck is so inquisitive, most of the time he finds it endearing like he’s the little brother Jungwoo never had but right now he’s not so sure how to deal with the line of questioning, he’s not sure how much he’s ready to share. 

On one hand, telling Hyuck about his and Doyoung’s plans might not be a bad idea, the younger being so good at reading people makes him a good confidant. His input is usually quite valuable unless he’s playing around, a good insight based on his ever thorough observations. And just as much as he likes to gossip, he knows when to keep his mouth shut too, hell, he’d kept mum about Ten’s pregnancy even when he’d realised his condition before Ten and Kun had figured it out.

But right now, the prospect of spilling his secrets just doesn’t feel _right_ , barely a week after his and Doyoung’s decision, Jungwoo isn’t sure he wants to be sharing it just yet.

Right now, everything feels so novel to Jungwoo, still a little dream-like in how the past few days have made him feel. Nothing big has even happened yet, even now with Jungwoo of his birth control they can’t properly start trying for a baby for a week or two but still, the feeling is special and right now it’s one he only wants to share with Doyoung. Anyway, aren’t you supposed to start telling people you’re having a baby after your pregnant rather than before?

Jungwoo’s Kun-based distraction will only throw Donghyuck off his trail for a little while so that means next time he tries his hand at making Jungwoo spill Jungwoo will have upfront and tell Donghyck not to bother him till he decides he’s ready to share. Jungwoo has a feeling that won’t be too far in the future, he’s so excited already and there’s no way that excitement’s going to fade anytime soon.

Kun, bless him, manages to unknowingly keep Donghyuck distracted till around noon by which time Jungwoo’s starting to get restless for his break. Their little team doesn’t have that many employees, the majority of the company’s staff being based in China anyway. That means that Jungwoo’s pretty close or at the very least on friendly terms with everyone he works with. But out of everyone there, Donghyuck’s still his favourite to go eat with. 

Donghyuck knows this too, which is why Jungwoo isn’t surprised to see him pull up at his side again when his own break starts. “There’s a new sushi place that’s opened near the station, do you wanna check it out?”

“Sure, Hyuckie.” Jungwoo slips out of his chair and winds his arm around Donghyuck’s, he’s starting to get hungry too and he’s really been craving salmon the past few days, definitely not because he saw it suggested on a website about conceiving or anything. “I’ll pay this time.”

It’s warm when the two of them get out of the office, a bit cold for May but Jungwoo’s just fine in his t-shirt, he’s never been too sensitive to the cold anyway. Donghyuck, however, is pretty affronted by the breeze and insists on speedwalking the whole five-minute walk to the restaurant, rushing inside the second they get there to bag them two seats by the window. It’s one of those set-ups with the conveyer belts and Donghyuck’s already bagged two dishes by the time Jungwoo sits down next to him with a huff.

“What was happening with Kun then?” Jungwoo asks, half his attention on his phone as he skim reads his texts, a couple from Jaehyun about something or other this weekend and, of course, his usual lunchtime correspondences with Doyoung.

“Eh, nothing interesting. Their usual babysitter can’t make it next week so he’s gonna have to skip the meeting on Wednesday.” Donghyuck’s peeping at his screen, chopsticks half raised to his mouth. “God, Kun’s so dramatic, you would have thought Ten just told him he’d murdered their firstborn or something.”

“He gets it from Ten.” Jungwoo, like most of Kun’s colleagues, is pretty familiar with Ten now with how often he’s calling into their office. He works freelance which to him means _whenever the hell he wants_ and even now with their son, Yangyang, almost a year old and Ten working a lot more than he had been after he’d given birth his visits to the office hadn’t become less frequent. It’s probably not great for productivity but it’s always nice when Ten brings along Yangyang too, especially for Yukhei who’s seemingly been chosen as the baby’s favourite uncle.

“Anyway, I didn’t come here to talk about Ten. why were you so eager to get rid of me this morning.” Jungwoo goes to protest but Donghyuck cuts him off before he can even get a word out. “Don’t even try to deny it, nothing gets past me.”

“You’re so nosy, Hyuck.” Jungwoo snatches a plate of his own off the belt. “This isn’t how you/re supposed to treat your Hyung who’s paying for your lunch.”

“I’ll pay if it means you’ll spill.”

“Trying bribery now, huh?” Jungwoo grins. “No can do, I’m paying whether you like it or not.”

“So you really do have a secret? Must be big if you’re refusing free meals.”

“Yeah, and you’re just gonna have to wait till I decide to tell you.”

“Aish, so cruel.” Donghyuck picks up another two plates, one for him and one for Jungwoo. “I’ll just have to get lots of feed then, as revenge.”

That sounds like acceptance to Jungwoo, a promise that Donghyuck will wait till Jungwoo’s ready. _He’ll be so excited_ , Jungwoo thinks, trying to hide his smile with a mouthful of food. _He’ll be so excited when I really do have big news to tell him_.

Doyoung thinks he probably knows Jungwoo’s body better than anyone else in the world. He knows how his head ticks to the side when he wants something, how he’ll reach out his arms with his sweet smile because he knows it’ll make someone come running, how he’ll tuck himself into the line of somebody’s shoulders when he wants to be held. 

He knows exactly where to touch him to make his hips jolt, to make him throw his head back into the pillows and _writhe_. 

Maybe it’s the familiarity that led them to one another's bed more often than others, it’s far easier for Jungwoo to give himself to the boy he’s known the better part of his life than to seek out the uncertain embrace of a stranger.

They’ve been this way since high school, Jungwoo’s first time with Doyoung came after a surmountable number of disappointments that were the boy’s he’d slept with throughout his senior year. Doyoung, with two years more experience on his back, quickly became a more favourable alternative. 

They’d grown up with each other in that respect, learning what makes the other tick just as much as for themselves. Doyoung could tell you Jungwoo’s exact order at a restaurant before he even tells the waiter just as well as he could tell you where to kiss along his neck to get him to melt into his arms.

And currently, that’s exactly where he is, caged in by Doyoung’s arms wrapped tightly around his waist while his own wind around Doyoung’s neck, running through his silky black hair to tug each time Doyoung kisses him just the way he likes.

Jungwoo was out of work unusually late today. Kun’s rather soft on his team, not fond of keeping them in longer than needed but today he hadn’t left the office till almost 6, and with the added drag of the subway to Doyoung’s (not his own place, Doyoung had said at lunchtime that he’d cook for him tonight if he was up for it) he’d seemed exhausted past the point of any preamble. Doyoung had barely managed a greeting before Jungwoo had rushed forward, almost pushing him back into the table with the force he was kissing him with.

It barely takes any encouragement for Doyoung to guide him back into his bedroom, not with the way Jungwoo’s clinging to shoulders like he’d die if he let go, knees already weak and buckling as they hit the end of the bed.

“Doie,” It must be hard getting words out around the fervour Doyoung’s kissing him with but Jungwoo still just about manages. “I should be ovulating in a few days.”

That made Doyoung pull back, eyes wide as his breath hitches. “So we can start trying? Properly?”

Jungwoo nods and that’s the only confirmation Doyoung needs, surging forward hard enough that Jungwoo’s locked knees finally send him tumbling back onto the bed, any words he wanted to say effectively knocked out while Doyoung takes his place between his legs.

Doyoung can wear the veneer of an uptight man exceptionally well, mastering the art of looking scandalised by Johnny’s dramatic flirting when they’re out with their friends but Jungwoo’s heard him say far, far filthier things to him at the drop of a hat. And right now there’s no trace left of such a facade, no space for modesty as he unbuttons Jungwoo’s fly and helps shimmy his jeans down while Jungwoo tugs his shirt over his head, messing up his hair in the process.

It’s fast, frenzied, both of them too excited to slow down and let themselves catch their breath as the rest of their clothes hit the floor. They’ve done this enough times that Doyoung knows how to prepare Jungwoo in as little time as possible, one finger then two then three with as much efficiency as possible. It’s probably not the sexiest thing, Doyoung stretching Jungwoo out like it’s a mission but the focused frown on his face, the intense look in his eyes as he watches from between his parted legs still makes Jungwoo shiver. 

Still, it’s not nearly as quick as Jungwoo would like, now beginning to writhe in the sheets as the incentive of what comes after Doyoung’s fingers pressing against his walls has him worked up far faster than he normally is. The thought that soon enough Doyoung will be fucking into him, coming deep inside him, and maybe, _god_ , maybe even knocking him up.

Jungwoo’s hips keep trying to buck back on Doyoung’s fingers each time his fingertip drifts over his prostate making Jungwoo’s thoughts drift to how it would feel if it was his bare cock instead of those slip digits. Whining and trying to hint that he wants them replaced with something bigger whilst Doyoung’s just tightens his grip on his hip and swats the inside of his thigh to try to stop him from squirming.

“Doyoung, come _on_. I’m ready.”

Doyoung hums, scissoring his fingers in a way that makes Jungwoo shiver, his thighs trying to draw closed against the hand holding him open. “I’m not sure. Are you not still too tight? I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Jungwoo just huffs. No point in trying to negotiate with a lawyer, he takes matters into his own hands, using the leg and isn’t restrained to push Doyoung’s arm away so his fingers slip free. It’s a bit more of a struggle to flip himself onto his front without Doyoung stopping him but he manages that too, ending up on his knees with his forearms holding his front up.

“Doyoung, _please_ , I need you in me.” Jungwoo turns to look behind him, his best pout on his lips that he can muster as his bangs hang a little messed up over his forehead. “Don’t you want to knock me up? Fuck your babies into me? _God_ , I want it so much.”

Jungwoo can see the second Doyoung’s resolve breaks as his fingers twitch up into a fist and he gets this glassy expression over his face. As he watches Doyoung grab the bottle of lube and slick himself up, Jungwoo wonders if that’s what he looks like too, dreamy-eyed all those times Doyoung whispered in his ears about fucking him so full of his come that there’d be no way he wouldn’t be full with his babies.

He doesn’t have much time to dwell on that thought though, as soon enough Doyoung’s crowding close behind him, rubbing his hand up and down his side in the comforting way Jungwoo’s so used to as he pushes in.

The lube’s still a little cold, Doyoung too impatient to even bother trying to warm it even that doesn’t from how good it feels, the slick stretch as Doyoung pushes as deep as possible into his tight heat.

Jungwoo can tell Doyoung’s hesitating, slow controlled thrusts so as not to hurt him. Jungwoo’s not having it though, way past feeling anything but pleasure at the way Doyoung fills him up so well. Jungwoo has enough leverage perched on his forearms that he can jerk his hips back, fast enough to surprise Doyoung, show him that he’s ready.

“Desperate, are you?” Doyoung asks but his words don’t seem half as harsh with how breathless he already sounds.

“Ah, don’t pretend you’re not.” Jungwoo gasps as Doyoung’s hips finally deliver something rough. 

Doyoung might laugh but he’s always loud in bed, sometimes even louder than Jungwoo, so his moans make it hard for Jungwoo to tell. Instead, he lets his focus start to drift from conscious thoughts to pure feelings as Doyoung picks up his pace to something fast and rough, the sensation quickly spreading to his fingertips and quickly filling his whole body.

It always feels so good when Doyoung fucks him like this, elbows and knees with his ass in the air. It makes his arms feel so weak that soon enough they always buckle, leaving Jungwoo too lie cheek to the pillow, unable to do anything but arch his back and _take_ as Doyoung fucks him so hard he jolts up the bed.

Soon enough comes as a particularly hard thrust and a hand pressing on the small of Jungwoo’s back sends him down to bite the pillows. Jungwoo feels like he’s already losing it, starting to drown in the pleasure as he mouths at the pillows faster than usual. Perhaps it’s his own words from earlier or perhaps it’s where those words stemmed from, the knowledge that Doyoung’s fucking him to put a baby in him that has both of them running so frenzied.

They skip protection pretty frequently, both of them know they haven’t been sleeping with other people in a long while through unspoken understanding so there’s no risk of catching anything. When Doyoung’s receiving and he’s feeling generous enough to overlook the mess, a mess that Jungwoo’s particularly fond of, they’ll go raw but not as much when it’s the other way around. Birth control isn’t perfect and Jungwoo’s not exactly a risk-taker, no matter how much he prefers the feeling of Doyoung’s release inside of him rather than spread on the skin of his thighs or his chest.

That’s why it’s so novel to actually feel Doyoung without any barrier. It’s been so long since they’ve done it like this, the last time must have been months ago in drunk oversight and in the time between Jungwoo had forgotten just how good it feels. Maybe it’s all mental but that doesn’t make it any less divine, knowing how close they are, his walls tight and slick against Doyoung’s bare length, knowing they won’t have to settle for Jungwoo’s thighs or his chest anymore, not for a long while.

It’s that thought that has Jungwoo mouthing at Doyoung’s sheets as the older pounds into him. The thought that he clings onto, always circling back around to as Doyoung pants near his ear, hands achingly tight in his waist in a vain attempt to stop his hands and Jungwoo’s hips from wandering.

Jungwoo feels him _everywhere_. His touch on every inch of his skin, lighting up every nerve in his body till his trembling, shaking from the stimulation. So good that Jungwoo’s happy to lay there and let Doyoung do as he pleases, plaint and open.

“Doie, _ah_ , I think I’m, I’m close.” It’s a struggle but Jungwoo manages to get the words out without Doyoung’s thrusts knocking the air out of his lungs completely.

“Shit, me too.” Doyoung’s winding a hand around his hips to wrap around his cock, making Jungwoo jerk right back into him, moaning and clenching down when Doyoung’s cock hits right where he wants it.

“Ah, please hurry, need you inside.”

“But I already am.” Jungwoo can just see the grin on Doyoung’s face without even having to look. Trust him to tease Jungwoo when he’s too spaced out to put up any fight, only able to whine and wiggle his hips as much as Doyoung’s grip allows.

“You know what I mean, Hyung.”

The hand fisting Jungwoo’s cock speeds up and he feels as though he’s going to break, going to splinter into a million pieces with just how much he’s feeling. “You want me to come inside you? Is that what you want?”

Jungwoo’s _yes_ becomes more of a muffled moan, his mouth half-obscured with his cheek pressed against the sheets. 

“Don’t worry, Woo, I’ll give it to you, stuff you so full it’ll be dripping out of you.” Doyoung’s hips stutter and Jungwoo sobs, his hands fisting in the sheets. Everything feels like too much, so, so much but all he can think is that he wants _more_.

“God, Jungwoo, I’m gonna-” And Jungwoo feels it, warmth spilling and spreading as Doyoung comes inside his willing body. That feeling is all it takes to push Jungwoo over the edge with him, His moans turning into broken cries as he spills into Doyoung’s hand, crashing like a wave. The only thing keeping him from crumbling into the mattress is Doyoung’s hands on his hips holding him steady, his cock still buried to the hilt inside of him as he tries to catch his breath.

It takes a while for Jungwoo to come back down to earth again, longer than normal but his head’s still too hazy to guess how long. Doyoung’s hands stroking along his back are the most important thing he wants to focus on right now, soothing in a way that doesn’t make his oversensitive skin feel like pinpricks. 

He lets Doyoung guide him down so their spooning, Jungwoo’s legs relaxing and curling a little now they don’t have to bear his weight. Doyoung doesn’t pull out just yet and Jungwoo wiggles his hips a little closer to make it easier.

“Do you think that we, you know?” Doyoung says after a stretch of silence, resting his face on Jungwoo’s upper arm so he can see him in his periphery.

Jungwoo pokes his cheek where Doyoung’s pushing it out cutely. “That I’m pregnant yet?” 

Doyoung nods. 

“I mean, it was only the first try.” Jungwoo laughs but it turns a bit shy towards the end. “It could have worked though.”

Doyoung’s normally much more of a realist but right now, he just can’t muster the will to be. It’s such a nice thought, imagining that they really had already succeeded. Doyoung knows that’s not quite how it works, if this try really is the lucky one it’ll still be a few days before they’d actually conceive but it’s still ever so nice. It’s more than just nice, it makes his heart race and his cheeks flush no matter how hard he tries to remind himself not to set his expectations too high. 

“It could have.” He really should get up and make a start on dinner but that can wait for now, Doyoung’s so comfortable with Jungwoo curled up in his arms that he doesn’t care about that, doesn’t even care about the mess the sheets will be later if he doesn’t help clean Jungwoo up.

Instead, he cuddles Jungwoo closer, laughing at the squeak Jungwoo lets out when Doyoung’s arms tighten. “I hope it did.”

Neither of them are particularly patient so it’s a small miracle Jungwoo manages a whole two weeks after their first try before he takes his first proper test.

Doyoung had ended up at Jungwoo’s place, rushing over after Jungwoo had called him telling him that he’d caved and was waiting in his living room for the test’s result. Not that Doyoung’s particularly surprised, Jungwoo had been twitchy the night before, he just hadn’t figured out what was on his mind till he’d called up the evening.

The adrenaline probably isn’t the best thing for Doyoung to have coursing through his veins right now, sitting on Jungwoo’s living room floor waiting for him to pull his hand away from the end of the stick so they can both see the result. But it is, so built up he’s starting to fidget.

“Doie,” Jungwoo sounds nervous, Doyoung doesn’t blame him, that’s exactly how he feels too. “What if it’s negative.”

Doyoung shuffles a bit closer so he can rub the small of Jungwoo’s back a little easier. “Then it’s negative. We’ve done all we can and there’s nothing more we can do right now, okay?. We’ll just have to try again next month.”

“Try again next month,” Jungwoo mumbles the words to himself, eyes scrunched up before he looks up and opens them, determined and bright. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”

“Me too. On three?”

And Jungwoo counts, fingers twitching till he gets to two, to one, to zero and pulls them away.

One line. Not pregnant.

The two of them look at it for a little while, seconds dragging on as their minds catch up with their eyes. It’s Jungwoo that breaks it, a soft little _oh_ breaking through the silence. “I guess that means we’ll try again next month.”

Doyoung snaps out of his stupor, ditching the test on the sofa behind them so it’s sucking in all their attention like a vacuum and winding his arms around Jungwoo’s waist.

“Next month.” Doyoung tries not to sound as empty as he suddenly feels. He can tell Jungwoo feels it too though, ducking his head in the crook of Doyoung’s shoulder and snuggling closer.

They stay there for a while, staring into space as their breathing slowly matches and they start to feel more human again, not just the personification of unfulfilled expectations.

“I didn’t think I would be, you know,” Jungwoo says. Doyoung makes a confused sound in the back of his throat. “I just didn’t feel like I was pregnant, it’s hard to explain but…”

“You felt like you were missing something?”

“Yeah, that’s it. I didn’t really acknowledge it ‘cos I just wanted to think we had a baby already but, I can’t really ignore it anymore, can I.”

“It’s only the first month, the first week really. It could take a lot longer than that, it’s normal.”

Jungwoo whines, a little playful. He’s starting to sound more like himself again. “I know, I know, but I wanted to be pregnant now.”

“So impatient.” Doyoung pulls the drawstrings of his hoodie so it tightens around his face.

“You know what I’m also impatient for?”

“Fine, fine. I’ll start cooking.” Doyoung’s quick to grab the test and fling it on the sofa behind them as he starts to get up so Jungwoo doesn’t have to keep his eyes glued to it anymore.

“Mmm, good. You gotta keep me well fed or no babies for you.”

“Watch it! You’re still helping me cook.”

Jungwoo ends up barely helping him cook, meandering over to chop a few veggies but mostly just getting in the way. Later, when Jungwoo’s with him snuggled up on his couch to put off Doyoung leaving, he thinks it isn’t that bad that the test didn’t work out. As long as Jungwoo is with him there’s always one silver lining.

The test that week doesn’t deter Jungwoo from taking one next week or the week after and all the way through to their next month of trying which, like the first, only ends with one stark line and a frown. 

Doyoung can tell Jungwoo’s trying not to be disappointed, he’s good at hiding his frustration but putting on a front is exhausting and Doyoung can see how it tires Jungwoo out. It’s only been two months, after all, that’s what they keep telling each other. It takes lots of people a lot longer than two months to conceive, sometimes up to years, though Doyoung’s trying not to look that far ahead and imagining what it would look like if they’re still unsuccessful.

Despite the disappointments, nothing’s slowed down elsewhere. They find themselves in the bedroom just as often, sometimes not even making it past the living room. Jungwoo’s, unlike Doyoung, works convergently. It’s just the way he’s wired, to him every problem no matter how convoluted always brings him to one answer, a single definitive solution. Here the problem is that he’s not pregnant yet and the solution is that he and Doyoung need to double down on their efforts to relieve the heartache.

Doyoung, however, hasn’t ended up at the same epiphany. Not that he wants to stop trying, far from it. The worry on Doyoung’s mind is that Jungwoo’s driven, he latches onto things and follows them through before he realises exactly why he’s done it like the time he’d insisted on violin lessons for a year even though he hated them because a teacher had told him learning an instrument would make him better at maths or when he’d dated a guy he had a waning interest in for two months because of some offhanded comment from his sister about him taking a date to their aunt’s wedding. He’s emotionally intelligent but often he misses the bigger things, seeing right through the overarching design to focus on a thread.

Sometimes, Doyoung thinks that Jungwoo does things for misguided reasons and now the worry has planted itself in his head he just can’t shake it. 

He’s worried that Jungwoo had been so convinced he wanted to do this with Doyoung because he felt he wouldn’t have another opportunity if he wavered and waited, he’s worried

It’s gotten to the point that it’s now a worry that’s manifested itself physically. Doyoung’s thigh jumping whenever he tries to sit still, his bottom lip bitten raw with how his mind drifts when he’s not paying attention.

And eventually, it’s a worry that reaches it’s breaking point and spills over one afternoon after Jungwoo had lent out his car to drive them both to the supermarket, Doyoung’s mind getting the better off him as he watches Jungwoo hum, putting away the groceries that he was supposed to be helping with.

“You don’t think we’re rushing into this do you, Woo?” Doyoung says with a deep breath in, hoping Jungwoo understands his vague statement, it doesn’t sound pleasant having to spell it out so blatantly, especially with how high Jungwoo’s mood had been today.

“Hmm, I suppose we are a bit,” Doyoung’s breath catches on his exhale. “We’ve always done things a bit differently though haven’t we.”

“I guess so, I’m just a little worried.”

“Worried about what?” Jungwoo’s face has paled a little.

“I don’t know, it’s just… are you sure this is what you want Jungwoo?”

Jungwoo’s not moving anymore, fridge door open and forgotten. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, having a baby’s a big deal,” Jungwoo snorts, albeit a little weakly. “Are you sure you want to do this? A lot of things are gonna change and I’m just worried it’s not what’s best for you.”

“‘Not what’s best for me’? What are you on about, Hyung?”

Here goes nothing. “It’s just, things are gonna be harder for you with a baby. We’ll have to work less, you especially. And what about all the things you want to do outside of work, like travelling and well, dating.” Doyoung takes a deep breath. “I’m worried that you’re doing this more for me and than for yourself.”

It’s not often Doyoung feels as though he can’t read Jungwoo’s expression which makes the carefully crafted look on the younger boy's face far more disconcerting than he probably means for it to be. “Have you been worrying about this for a while?”

“I don’t know, I suppose so? It’s just things haven’t happened like we’d wanted to and I can’t help thinking…”

“Oh Doie, you always worry so much for me, I wish you wouldn’t sometimes. Always worrying about what I do for you and never thinking about what you do for me.” Jungwoo’s arms feel nice wrapping around him, the comfort he needed. “I think about it a lot too, you know, your not the only one. I think about it all the time and I’m still sure this is the right decision. Are you?”

“Yes, of course, I mean a baby was my idea in the first place, but it wasn’t yours-”

“Yah, what did I just tell you, Hyung.” Jungwoo’s chin is awfully bony when he jabs it into Doyoung’s shoulder. “You’re allowed to trust me more you know, you don’t have to protect me so much.”

“I'm sorry, of course, I know.” Doyoung lets his head tilt back, eyes to the ceiling as him and Jungwoo hold still. “I’ve been stupid haven’t I?”

“No, you haven’t. You’re allowed to worry, Doie, just not without me, okay? That’s what best friends are for.”

Doyoung would have thought they’d been trying for more than just three months with the way Jungwoo started to act this time around. The younger has taken to all sorts of weird hacks and old wives tales in a desperate, not that Doyoung would dare say it to Jungwoo’s face, attempt to make sure this time is the _one_.

It’s around the tenth time this week Doyoung’s received a strange text from Jungwoo when he's sat at work, mostly vague things like _you should get eel soup for lunch, take jaehyun he won’t mind_ or _can you get a load of salmon on your way home? Like an entire salmon_.

Still, Doyoung concedes, forcing down strange food in his lunch breaks, he knows he’d feel guilty if he fibbed to Jungwoo, and spending obscene amounts of money on supermarket requests without questioning whichever dubious website he’s getting all his ideas from (Doyoung’s pretty sure Jungwoo doesn’t even know how to prepare a salmon but he’ll deal with that problem later). He even holds in his giggles when he sees Jungwoo propping his hips up after they’ve had sex, though that’s mostly so Jungwoo stays ignorant to his looks and doesn’t start teasing him for the way his eyes linger on his ass.

There are some new things now though that Doyoung’s only noticed very recently. Tiny ticks in his behaviour that he wouldn’t look twice at if Jungwoo wasn’t such a creature of habit. He’s not even entirely sure Jungwoo’s noticed either, he hasn’t mentioned anything and it all honestly seems so unconscious that Doyoung wouldn’t be surprised if it was news to him. 

Maybe it’s just his imagination but he’s pretty certain Jungwoo complaining about muscle cramps a lot without his usual gym routine changing, always holding his arms around his shoulders to relieve the aches and pains. His energy’s been all over the place, texting Doyoung at the early hours of dawn when he’d always normally be asleep though that might be a knock-on effect of all the naps he’s started taking in the afternoon.

He’s started acting weird about food now too, stuffing his nose inside his hoodie on the few nights a week they eat together so he doesn’t have to smell Doyoung’s cooking. And he won’t even touch the _entire godforsaken salmon_ than Doyoung bought on his request, Doyoung ended up unearthing it from the freezer and pawning it off to Taeyong, probably the only one of their friends who would know what to do with it.

So far it’s all been small enough that Doyoung doesn’t bother mentioning anything, easy enough to brush off rather than bickering about like he knows Jungwoo would relish in doing. This latest one though really has Doyoung questioning Jungwoo’s sanity.

It must have been over three months ago now while Doyoung had been doing his grocery shopping that he’d bought a fair amount of boxes of pregnancy tests, looking away from the card reader when he’d paid to avoid cringing at the extortionate price. He’d bought enough of them so that they could keep some at Jungwoo’s place and some at Doyoung’s, hopefully enough at each place so that both apartments would stay stocked up till they reached their goal of the two-line red lines.

Unfortunately, Doyoung had failed to take into account that Jungwoo can get a little trigger happy when he’s excited. The boy already worked his way through one box a week before they even started trying because _he wanted to see how they worked_ , meaning that most of the boxes got relocated to Jungwoo’s apartment where the demand was highest and leaving none left at Doyoung’s.

So that’s how he’s ended up at Jungwoo’s at 11 pm on a work night, having to ride the tube in sweatpants, very unusual attire for him, because Jungwoo insisted a few stops on the subway would be quicker than him driving to pick him up. 

Jungwoo had rung half an hour ago and Doyoung had picked up on instinct only to get his ear talked off about how _he needed to take a test right now and it’s super, super important Doyoung is there too_ for a good ten minutes before Doyoung had given in, sliding on some shoes and the longest puffer coat he owns so as to hide how dressed down he was.

Jungwoo had been waiting for him at the door despite knowing full well Doyoung knows his door code, instantly dragging him into his bathroom and made to face the door while he did the test. Doyoung’s sure Jungwoo wouldn’t have a good reason as to why he couldn’t wait outside so he doesn’t bother asking, instead, waiting patiently whilst he waits for Jungwoo to tell him he can turn around again.

Eventually, Doyoung hears the telltale sound of a fly being drawn. “Okay, okay it’s done.”

“How long do we have to wait?” Doyoung says, trying to mask a yawn.

“Five minutes. Quick set a timer on your phone, I need to wash my hands.”

Five minutes turns out to be far too long to be dragged back into Jungwoo’s bedroom and settled on the bed. Jungwoo only makes it through one and a half till he jumps up and starts pacing, demanding to watch the seconds tick on Doyoung’s phone until Doyoung snatches it back and tells him to be patient.

The end of the countdown is marked by Jungwoo jumping on his bed, nudging Doyoung out of his spot with his shoulder. “Go get it, Hyung! It’s on the sink, don’t look at it till you bring it back.”

It’s where Jungwoo said it would be, unassuming white plastic almost blending into the porcelain save the blue cap that breaks the camouflage. Jungwoo had placed it face down easier so the result is obscured, easy for Doyoung to pick it up without seeing anything he’s not supposed to.

There’s blood rushing in his ears to the time of his pulse as Doyoung comes back into Jungwoo’s room, heart crawling up his throat all of a sudden he meets Jungwoo’s eyes, the boy lying in his front with his arms propping his chest up just how Doyoung had left him.

His eyes look massive, cheeks flushed like he’s been out in the cold instead of Doyoung either from the pacing or the anticipation. Doyoung wonders how much his own face is beginning to mirror Jungwoo’s, his mood instantly infectious.

“Hurry, Hyung. Come here. You haven’t looked have you?”

“No, no. I haven’t.”

“Okay, oh my gosh I’m so excited. Quick, bring it here.”

Doyoung climbs back onto the bed sitting cross-legged where Jungwoo’s hand is patting and placing the test, still face down, between them.

“I feel kinda nervous?” Doyoung admits after a few seconds of silence. It’s strange how quickly he’s gotten drawn into whatever’s going on in Jungwoo’s head, especially when the only thing he’d been feeling earlier was mild annoyance.

“Me too, Hyung. We should just, we should just look.”

“Okay, do you wanna turn it over or?”

“No, you do it. My hands are kinda shaky.”

Doyoung nods, though he’s not sure he’s fairing any better than Jungwoo at this point. They’ve done dozens of tests, so why is he suddenly feeling like it’s the first one all over again. “On three?”

Jungwoo whines. “I can’t wait any longer, just flip it now.”

Doyoung can help the little _three, two, one_ that sounds in his head as he reaches out, positioning his fingers so the second it’s flipped they’ll be able to see the window. And then he turns it over.

Jungwoo gasps. Shaky and weak but it’s jubilant, so, so pure and full of joy. It almost makes Doyoung smile as much as the two red lines he’s looking at but his grin wouldn’t be able to stretch that big.

“Jungwoo-”

“-Holy shit! Look!”

Doyoung’s laughter is a little choked, it doesn’t fit around his smile to come out properly. “I’m looking.”

“Oh my god, we really did it, oh my god. It doesn’t feel real, does- Doyoung, are you crying?”

Doyoung tries to look up at Jungwoo before he realises he can’t, his eyes are too blurry, telltale wetness clinging to his lashes. 

“Huh? Yeah, I guess. I didn’t realise.” Doyoung barely manages to rub the palm of his hands over his wet eyes before Jungwoo’s pouncing on him, knocking him back so they tumble Doyoung tumbles back with Jungwoo clinging to his chest.

“Are you happy, Doie?” A voice mumbles into his chest.

“Yes, oh my god yes. I can’t believe it.” Doyoung laughs at the funny noise that comes out of Jungwoo’s throat. “We’re having a baby.”

“Our baby,” Jungwoo repeats. Doyoung thinks he can feel his shirt getting wet where Jungwoo has his face pressed in. He doesn’t mention it, just holds Jungwoo tighter and rocks him through the happy tremors that are shaking them both.

The test lies discarded between them but this time for the right reasons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanku so so much for all the comments on the first chap 🥺🥺🥺 sorry I didn't manage to reply I'm a bit of a disaster 
> 
> my (new) [twitter](https://twitter.com/fivebiessings) and [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/fivebiessings) lmao


	3. Chapter 3

“Okay, I think I want the peach iced tea, no, wait they do that mint one here don’t they? I think I’ll have that." Jungwoo clicks his tongue, he'd tilting to the side. "I kind of want some cake too, Am I being greedy? Hey, we could share one, did you say the green tea cake was good? Maybe I shouldn’t eat that much caffeine though, I had a coffee this morning…”

The two of them are at a cafe near to Doyoung’s office that the older often frequents. Normally, he just comes on his own, sometimes with Jaehyun but most of the time he ends up here on an abnormally busy office when he wants to get away from the sound and have some time alone to gather himself.

Today though, he does have company. Jungwoo had been texting him almost nonstop since 11, apparently work had been slow that morning after their big project finished up last week, leaving half the office to fuck around till Kun found something to keep them occupied. Jungwoo’s office isn’t too far away from the cafe and Doyoung doesn’t have anything important waiting on him this afternoon so he’d put Jungwoo out of his boredom and told him to meet him here.

Doyoung’s stood up by the table they’d snagged in the corner whilst Jungwoo’s sitting, still pondering the menu ten minutes after he had settled into his seat. “Hurry, Woo. The lunchtime rush is gonna start soon.”

“Oh my gosh, okay, I want the peach tea. Ah, maybe not.” Jungwoo leans back into his chair, letting the little laminated menu fall from his hands onto the tabletop. “You know what, you just order for me, I can’t decide.”

Call it intuition, Doyoung had figured Jungwoo would end up saying that the second he’d seen his eyes widen when he’d seen the list of drinks so he’d taken the liberty to ponder over Jungwoo’s order himself while the younger went around in circles.

Doyoung gets his own iced americano and the mint tea for Jungwoo along with their sandwiches and the cake Jungwoo had been eyeing. Jungwoo can get peach iced tea at the convenience store right next to his offices if he really wants it later, plus the mint iced tea here puts cute pink flowers in it, rose petals maybe, that Doyoung figures Jungwoo will like to play with his straw with. 

He does just make it before the rush, first at the so that he doesn’t even have to bother going back to their table to wait for his buzzer to go off. Manoeuvring his way around the growing queue back to Jungwoo who’s now leant over the table with his legs stretched out, flicking through the calendar app on his phone. He must hear the _click, clack_ of his office shoes on the floor as he looks up just as Doyoung approaches, helping receive the items of his tray.

“Mm, this looks so good. Thank you.” The ice cubes tinkle as Doyoung passes his glass to him. 

“You look handsome in a suit, you know,” Jungwoo says once Doyoung settles back down, mouth half full of the sandwich Doyoung picked for him.

Doyoung wouldn’t say he’s really wearing a suit, it’s early August now, way too hot for him to be carrying around a blazer. He does have the rest of the ensemble though, slacks and a tie with his sleeves rolled to the elbow and his top button undone. It’s mostly for his boss, Joohyun’s sake who’d have a nervous breakdown if she saw him in client meetings without a tie. “That’s not what you said back in college.”

“Well, you were shorter then.” Jungwoo prods at one of the pink flowers that have sunk to the bottom of his cup with the end of his straw. “And all your clothes were hand-me-downs anyway, that didn’t help.”

“I was like an _inch_ shorter.”

“And look what a difference it makes!” Jungwoo huffs, his shoulders rising and falling a little. “Honestly, you’re so difficult. Next time I won’t even bother complimenting you, I'll just tell you you look horrible.”

Doyoung grins, nudging Jungwoo’s sneakered foot with his own. It’s looking like he's won this round. “Yeah, but next time I’ll know you’re lying.”

“Watch it or I won’t give you any cake.”

Doyoung pushes the little plate towards Jungwoo’s side of the table. “It’s all for you anyway, silly.”

“What? I can’t eat all this, you’re supposed to help me.” Jungwoo says as if just seconds ago he wasn’t threatening to steal Doyoung’s apparent half.

“Yes you can, you’re supposed to be eating more now anyway.”

“More healthy food though, not cake.”

“Oh go on, it won’t hurt. weight just slides off you anyway.”

Turns out Jungwoo doesn’t need much convincing when his sweet tooth is concerned but Doyoung still ends up with several fork fulls being pushed into his mouth as Jungwoo works his way through the slice.

“What were you doing on your phone?” Doyoung says when his glass gets half empty.

“Just looking.” Jungwoo pushes his screen forward so Doyoung can see a little better and points to a bunch of dates at the end of July. “I must have gotten pregnant here but you start counting the weeks from here.”

Doyoung counts the rows from where Jungwoo’s finger had ended up to the date now. “Four weeks along then?”

“Yep! Just about.” He hums bending his head down to wrap around his straw. “It’s weird but, I just felt like this month was the one, you know.”

“You knew you were pregnant after we tried?”

“I wouldn’t say I _knew_ , something definitely felt different from the other times though. Does that sound stupid?”

“No, of course it doesn’t. It’s sweet,” Doyoung says. There’s this heavy need to say more, say it’s sweet how he already feels like their baby’s mommy, but Doyoung decides not to. Instead, he looks back down at Jungwoo’s phone, doing hopscotches from today’s date to two weeks ago. “It must have been that time in your kitchen, you know? When you were bent over-”

“Doyoung! Not so loud!” Jungwoo snaps, his feet darting out to try and kick Doyoung’s shins but he’s grinning too much for Doyoung to worry. 

“Did you figure out when you’re due?”

Jungwoo nods. “The first week of May, I think.”

“Wow.” Doyoung’s mind starts to drift. That’s eight months away, so long but really barely anything when he thinks about it. Eight more months before they get to see their baby. “I guess we’ll meet them in spring then.”

“Our spring chicken,” Jungwoo says before he snorts. “Ha, if it had happened last month we’d be having an easter bunny.”

Doyoung groans. “Please don’t say that to our friends, I’ll literally never hear the end of it.” 

Jungwoo hums, fingers tapping his chin as if he’s pondering it. Doyoung takes a sip of his drink as revenge while he’s distracted. “Seriously though, now’s a good time right? Imagine being in your third trimester in the middle of summer.”

“Poor Woo, you’d probably melt.” Doyoung can see it quite well, Jungwoo’s a master at whining and Doyoung can only imagine how heavy he’d lay it on having to deal with the weather they’re experiencing now on top of a nearly full-term bump. Funny how easy it is for Doyoung to imagine Jungwoo’s tummy, it barely takes any thought at all.

“Hey! what are you smiling about?” Jungwoo’s voice snaps Doyoung out of his daydream. “I’m starting to think you’re getting off too easily on your side of the deal.”

It’s strange when Jungwoo words it like that because as much as it is a celebration, in essence, a deal is what it is, an agreement that just so happens to concern his best friend and their baby. “I just paid for your lunch doesn’t that make us even.”

“You would have paid for my lunch anyway!” Jungwoo says. “No, you’ll have to think of something better.”

“I'll come over on Friday and I’ll cook for you?” Doyoung knows that Jungwoo has a big presentation on Friday and no matter how well prepared he is, Doyoung knows that they still always stress him out long into the evening after.

“Mm, sounds good.” Jungwoo smiles. “You’re not working this weekend either right? We can celebrate, stay up late and everything.”

“I’ll cook lots then.” Doyoung knows all of Jungwoo’s favourite foods so it’s not exactly a daunting task, he likes looking after Jungwoo anyway.

“Hey, that reminds me. Can you send me your work schedule? I need to figure out when we’re both free for an antenatal.”

Their first antenatal appointment! Doyoung had been so caught up in the excitement that Jungwoo was finally pregnant that it had all but slipped his mind. “Of course!, Don’t you want to book it for when it’s best for you, though?”

“No, no. You have more stuff you can’t skip out on. Plus Kun’s a softie, he won’t mind if I need to run off for a couple of hours.”

“Okay, I’ll text you my schedule then.” Looking at his phone now, Doyoung hadn’t realised how quickly time had passed. Jungwoo’s good company at lunchtimes, it’s a shame they don’t have the time to do this more often. “Do you know what to expect? All I know is that they do an ultrasound.”

“Honestly, I have no idea. I’m so excited though, we’ll get to see the baby, even if it is tiny.” Jungwoo says, finishing off the rest of his drink and gathering his belongings. It’s a longer walk back to work for him than it is for Doyoung, he probably doesn’t want to spend too long dawdling, leading Doyoung out of the cafe and onto the sidewalk.

Does Jungwoo look different, Doyoung wonders as the midday sun hits them. He’d said he felt different so maybe it was showing on his face too already. Or maybe it’s just the sunshine that makes him look like he’s glowing, a healthy blush on the swell of his cheeks.

“Hyung, you’re walking the wrong way.”

“Oh, right, yeah. I was just-”

“Daydreaming?” Jungwoo laughs, looping his arm around the crook of Doyoung’s elbow. It’s way too warm to be close to someone else like this but he’s so used to Jungwoo’s clinginess he doesn’t think to pull away. “We need to get you back inside with the aircon, the heat’s already going to your head.” 

“I’ll walk you to the station.” Doyoung tightens his own arm, leading the way. They should definitely do this more often.

_Your first antenatal appointment_

Doyoung’s skims over the heading on his phone before clicking the link. It’s about the fifth time this week he’s ended up distracted by his work, ditching his paperwork to cycle through the dozen or so parenting websites he now has bookmarked.

He’d been curious at first, about their appointment, while now he’s honestly getting a little impatient. Maybe nervous too, Jungwoo’s still so early on, no matter how excited he is he can’t help the little fear in that back of his head that it’s early enough that something could easily go wrong.

That’s probably why he’s started obsessing over their doctor’s appointment. Everything still feels so up in the air at the moment, perhaps it’ll make him feel more grounded, some reassurance that everything really is going as great as it seems, that Jungwoo and their baby are just as healthy as he hopes.

Jungwoo had told him the other day that he was still debating which doctor’s surgery he thinks is best to go with. Doyoung’s mostly left him to it, he obviously knows what he’s doing as he’s already sent a couple of clinic’s websites to Doyoung for him to skim over and they’d all looked more than good. It’s probably best he leaves the final decision up to Jungwoo though, he’s the one they’ll be looking after, after all.

“Knock, knock.” There’s a head peeping around his office door, Jaehyun’s head in particular. That’s enough to break Doyoung out of his reverie, locking his phone and letting it fall onto his lap while he does his best to seem like he was busy at his computer. “Am I interrupting?”

“No, no. Honestly, I was thinking about finishing up soon anyway.” Doyoung says, shaking his head. It’s not a lie, he really has finished up the work he’d need doing for today and besides, his mind keeps drifting every time he tries to concentrate that there’s no point starting anything new. “What can I do for you?”

“Do you have those files for the meeting next Monday? Joohyun wants to check through them tomorrow so I thought I’d read over them and save you the trouble.” 

Doyoung hums, riffling through his filing cabinet. He and Jaehyun work a lot of their contracts together, they’d studied together, only a year apart and ended up joining the firm together when they’d wanted to move on from their last jobs. It makes them a good team, Jaehyun fills in Doyoung’s limitations while Doyoung does the same for him.

“I think I left the paper copies at home,” Doyoung huffs, hands coming up empty. “I can email you the pdf though?”

Jaehyun shudders. “I’d rather you didn’t. I wanted to read it on paper and you know how long the printer here takes.” Doyoung’s well aware of how long their office’s printer takes, god knows why Joohyun can’t be convinced that they need a replacement even after the ink incident that had ended in Mark going home early with a ruined blazer last week. “If you’re gonna leave soon would you mind if I tagged along and picked it up from your apartment?”

“Yeah, no problem, Honestly I can go now if you’re ready?” 

“Sure, give me five minutes to get my stuff together. I drove this morning so I can give us a lift.”

Ah, lucky Doyoung. The subway ride in the morning is bad enough but it’s early enough then that the trains don’t feel like an oven and the same can’t be said for the afternoon. Borrowing Jungwoo’s car is easy enough but now, with a baby on the way, he’s gonna have to start getting his own. He’ll need something with a big trunk for the pram, a booster seat too, and one of those little signs that stick on the window and says . 

It’s early enough before the 5 pm rush that they manage to avoid most of the traffic and taking into account Jaehyun’s almost manic driving it’s barely anything before they make it back to Doyoung’s, Jaehyun kicking off his shoes and settling on the sofa whilst Doyoung roots through his office.

“These are the ones, right?” Doyoung offers out a thick wad of papers that Jaehyun accepts. “How are you feeling about this one?”

“Seems pretty by the books, to be honest, I don’t think the clients will be any trouble,” Jaehyun says before snorting. “Johnny’s new clients seem way worse, he won’t stop complaining about it at home, he’s gonna end up mouthing my ear off.”

Doyoung laughs, that seems like the usual state of affairs for Johnny. He’s been at the firm for a couple of years longer so Joohyun tends to deal the tougher jobs to him. “I feel like I haven’t seen Johnny in years and we work in the same office.”

“Mm, you should see his schedule, it’s packed full of meetings. Anyway, you’re one to talk, I haven’t seen you outside the office in weeks, Jungwoo too! You’re monopolising all of each other’s time.” Jaehyun’s one to talk, it’s his fault they cancelled dinner last weekend since Jaehyun and Johnny got _distracted_. 

The four of them have always been close, Jaehyun had been Jungwoo’s roommate back in college and while they’d only met Johnny four years ago through work, these days it feels like they’ve all known each other since they were kids, in the way that Doyoung and Jungwoo know each other.

“Hey! We’re not as bad as you and Johnny.”

“Yeah but me and Johnny have an excuse, we’re actually dating. You and Woo are just attached at the hip!” Doyoung’s front door clicks behind them, the telltale sign of someone punching the door code in. “Speak of the devil, I bet this will be him too.”

And lo and behold- “Doyoung! I booked an appointment for next Wednesday, we’re gonna see the baby then!”

Jaehyun’s eyes go wide as his head swivels around to look at Jungwoo now stood in the doorway. Doyoung hadn’t forgotten that Jungwoo had said he’d come over later, he just didn’t account for the fact that Jungwoo might finish work early too and not bother calling in at his place before coming over here. He also hadn’t factored in that Jungwoo would announce his pregnancy before he’s even properly crossed the threshold whilst Doyoung has unknowing guests inside.

“Oh.” Jungwoo’s foot hovers midair as he pauses from undoing his laces. “Um. Hi, Jaehyun Hyung. I didn’t know you were over.”

“Who’s the baby?” Jaehyun says, Doyoung would laugh at how much he looks like an owl, wide eyes turning from Jungwoo to Doyoung and back again, if he wasn’t so shell shocked too.

“It’s, ah, well. The baby in Jungwoo?” Doyoung manages to get out after Jungwoo looks at him a little desperately as though he’s lost for words. 

“There’s a baby in Jungwoo... Jungwoo’s…” The cogs turning in Jaehyun’s head are almost visible. “Jungwoo, you’re pregnant?”

Jungwoo nods, still looking a little ruffled, kicking his other shoe off as he takes a tentative step forward.  
“Yeah, I’m around five weeks along.”

Doyoung pats space on the sofa next to him and Jungwoo takes the hint, probably a little eager for some comfort after his accidental slip up as he immediately sits with his front flush to Doyoung’s arm.

Doyoung knows it’s a little rude to turn to Jungwoo when Jaehyun looks like he’s on the verge of a meltdown but he really can’t help it. Not when all he can think about is Jungwoo saying _we’re going to see the baby_ , his happy words on a loop in his head.

“You really got an appointment?” He says, as softly as possible, his hand running slowly over Jungwoo’s thigh.

Jungwoo nods, his smile from when he’d come in creeping back onto his face. “Wednesday at 2.” Jungwoo laughs a little, his nose bumping on Doyoung’s shoulder as he leans forward. “The nurse on the phone said I must have realised pretty soon after it happened when she asked about my dates.”

“I guess you must have taken easily then, huh.”

There’s a stern cough from their left. “Can you guys stop discussing Jungwoo’s fertility, I’m literally sat right here.” At least Doyoung has the decency to look embarrassed, Jungwoo just continues to smile. “Jungwoo, are you really pregnant? It’s not a joke?”

“Yeah Hyung, I took like 10 tests.”

“Do… you know who the father is?”

Jungwoo looks dumbfounded at the question, shooting Doyoung a half humoured, half exasperated look. “...um, it’s Doyoung?”

Slowly, the ball drops. Poor Jaehyun must be doing more mental arithmetic in five minutes in Doyoung’s living room than he does all day at work. “Wait… Jungwoo, you let Doyoung Hyung get you pregnant? What the hell is going on?”

“Doie and I both wanted a baby so now we’re having one together,” Jungwoo says like it's the simplest thing in the world. In a way, Doyoung feels like it is. 

Jaehyun’s silent for a long time. “You guys are literally crazy, have I told you that?”

“You said that to me last week.” Jungwoo huffs and Doyoung snorts, he’d seen it too, pretending to be asleep while he had watched the pair of them bicker in their group chat over something inconsequential. 

“ _Doyoung_! Why are you laughing, you have to be nice to me now, I just got pregnant for you!”

“Oh my god, what the fuck is going on,” Jaehyun mutters into his hands. “Are you two dating now? Did you forget to tell me that too?”

“No Hyung, of course we aren’t, it’s just the baby.” Jungwoo’s smile is so blinding, Jaehyun can’t help it as his disarray drains out of him, grabbing Jungwoo’s hand over DOyoung’s waist to drag him up out of his seat and into his lap for a cuddle.

“Well, congratulations, I’m really happy for you guys.” Jaehyun still sounds confused but much much calmer, genuine happiness settling into his voice. Jungwoo further snuggles into his chest in response and Doyoung fights the small urge to pull him into his arms instead. “So how are you guys gonna do this then?”

“We’ll co-parent.” Doyoung supplies.

“Are you gonna move in together?”

“We haven’t really figured those bits out yet.”

Jungwoo shifts in Jaehyun’s grasp and stretches out till he’s standing. “I’m gonna go get some water, do you guys want anything?”

“I’m okay, Woo, Johnny will be expecting me soon anyway, I’m his lift home from work.” 

Jungwoo nods and makes his way to the kitchen. As soon as he’s out of earshot Jaehyun turns to him, a serious look in his eyes. “How long has this been going on for then?” He should’ve figured Jaehyun would act like this, always playing the part of Jungwoo’s protective older brother, maybe that’s part of why he held off on telling him their plans the whole time he and Jungwoo had been scheming, no matter how unconscious that decision had been.

“3 months? We were gonna tell you Jae but not until after Jungwoo was actually pregnant, and everything’s been going kinda fast since that happened.”

“So you guys just… decided to have a baby together?

“I mean kind of? It was Jungwoo’s idea really.” Jaehyun raises his eyebrows. “I told him I was going to look for a surrogate and he suggested we should just try and have a baby together instead.” It sounds so obvious, so simple when Doyoung says it like that, convincing enough to Jaehyun at least as the lines between his eyebrows smooth a little.

“I didn’t realise Jungwoo wanted kids just yet.”

Doyoung shakes his head. “He’s always wanted them, I think it’s more that he hadn’t been outwardly looking for the opportunity like I had. He’s been so excited about it whilst we’ve been trying though, I mean, you saw him just now.”

“Yeah, you’re right, he did look happy” Jaehyun relents. “I am happy for you Hyung, honestly. I’m just a little shocked, I always figured that out of our friends, you or Jungwoo would be having kids first, I just never expected it would be you _with_ Jungwoo.”

That makes Doyoung laugh, muscles loosening up where they had been tensed. Where they are now, with Jungwoo already past his first full month, he’s so confident that everything that’s happening is _right_ , but still, it’s a nice reassurance that their closest friend is supportive too. 

“Listen, I know this is a big ask, but could you try and keep it a secret from Johnny?” Doyoung and Jungwoo hadn’t really discussed when they were going to tell people about his pregnancy yet other than that Jungwooo wanted to wait a little longer until _after_ their doctor’s appointment could confirm everything was going as it should be. It can’t really be helped now that Jaehyun knows, but Doyoung has a feeling that Jungwoo will still be looking forward to telling everyone else for who the surprise hasn’t been spoiled yet.

“Of course!” Jaehyun laughs, “Well, I’ll do my very best. I really should get off now though, I don’t wanna keep Johnny waiting.”

Doyoung nods, “Don’t forget your papers.”

The scuffle of Jaehyun’s shoes near the doorway must be loud enough for Jungwoo to hear as a head peeps around the kitchen’s doorway followed by the rest of Jungwoo’s body. “Are you going already Hyung?”

“Yeah, I’d stay longer if I could but duty calls.” Jaehyun brings Jungwoo into another hug when he’s close enough, easy and warm. Doyoung can see how it makes Jungwoo smile. “We need to get together soon, all four of us, and _please_ don’t make me keep the baby a secret for too long, you know what Johnny’s like.”

Jungwoo looks contented as they wave Jaehyun off. Doyoung’s glad, he hadn’t liked how the shocked look on his face earlier had made his stomach drop. That’s what it means to be someone’s best friend, right? To never want to see them upset or scared.

“That didn’t exactly go as planned did it?” Jungwoo sounds light-hearted enough that Doyoung isn’t too concerned. “He seemed happy though, that’s what mattered.”

“Yeah, he did.” What matters most to Doyoung is Jungwoo’s happiness but he doesn’t feel like he needs to say that out loud, it’s enough that he knows. “We’ll need to start thinking about telling everyone else now, though. I wouldn’t say Jaehyun’s the best at lying.”

Jungwoo flops back down on the sofa, hand resting on his forehead as Doyoung cones to join him. He looks a little exhausted, it’s probably just the head but Doyoung’s glad he’s here so he gets to take care of him. “We should tell Johnny soon then, the next time we see him maybe?” Doyoung nods. “I want to start telling people before I start showing, before people can guess.”

Jungwoo’s hand runs down off his forehead till it’s resting on his tummy just under his belly button. There’s nothing there yet, Jungwoo looks completely flat, especially with his back stretched out, lying back into the backrest the way he is. Doyoung wouldn’t like to guess when he will start showing, Jungwoo has a tiny little waist but he’s tall too, Doyoung doesn’t know which will have more of an effect on when his bump will start to show. Still, he kind of hopes it’s sooner rather than later.

“You can touch, you know.” Jungwoo’s voice redirects Doyoung’s focus back up to where Jungwoo’s staring at him a little too knowingly. “You haven’t really touched it yet.”

Doyoung knows he hasn’t, nothing more than a few lingering touches when Jungwoo wants to cuddle. He has a feeling though that once he starts he’ll find it hard to stop. Still, Jungwoo’s offer is one that’s too hard for him to refuse, his hand moving unthinkingly until it’s placed lightly on top of Jungwoo’s. “Not like that! Properly!” And Doyoung isn’t sure what _properly_ means until he’s taking Doyoung’s hand in his own and lifting his t-shirt up just a little so he can guide Doyoung’s palm down to his bare skin. 

Doyoung thought his hands were warm but Jungwoo’s skin is warmer. So warm like his body’s doing it’s best to keep what’s inside him comforted and safe. It’s not as if Doyoung can even feel anything but the natural lines of Jungwoo’s abs but somehow touching him is able to make him feel so much, his heart swelling in his chest and tears threatening to spill over his waterline.

Jungwoo must be watching him closely as Doyoung hears him giggle, muted and happy. “It makes me feel that way too, even though you can’t feeling anything. I have to keep reminding myself not to keep touching my tummy all the time but it’s just so nice.”

Nice doesn’t even being to describe it, Doyoung thinks. “We’ll be able to see them soon too, just a few more days until Wednesday.”

1:15 pm. Jungwoo’s more than early, parked as close to Doyoung’s work as he could find a space, but he can’t contain his excitement enough to slow himself down. 

He’d been the one who had wanted to drive rather than get the subway, which would have no doubt been the quicker option. Today has him feeling a little fragile though, enough so that it’s put him off the thought of crowding on a train. He wants to feel insulated, safe, just him and Doyoung and no one else except what’s growing within him.

Doyoung’s just on time as Jungwoo sees him rounding the street corner, easily spotting where Jungwoo’s parked and hurrying over.

“How are you feeling?” Doyoung asks as he lets himself in the passenger door.

“All good.”

“Are you sure?” Doyoung’s seatbelt clicks in and his hand moves to check Jungwoo’s forehead. “You look a little pale.”

“Ah, I’m just nervous. I was super excited this morning and then at lunch I just started to get anxious. I couldn’t eat anything at all.”

“Everything will be alright, Woo. And I’ll be here the whole time.” Just Doyoung finally being with him is honestly comforting enough but his words help too, Doyoung naturally seems to have that effect on him. His hand moves off Jungwoo’s forehead to pat his tummy gently before pulling away, something he’s taken to doing quite a lot now. “Do you want me to drive?”

“No, it’s okay, I kinda need a distraction.” It’s about a 15-minute drive but Jungwoo thinks he can make it into 20. At least then they won’t be _as_ shockingly early. “Can you do the directions for me?”

The clinic’s not far from the area they both live in, Doyoung notices, integrated as part of the hospital that’s the closest one to both of them, probably one of the reasons Jungwoo chose this one. The staff are ever so nice too even though they’re about 20 minutes too early, handing Jungwoo a questionnaire form once they're in the waiting room.

Jungwoo still looks a little nervous, leg jumping even when Doyoung tries to soothe his hand over his thigh. He understands why. While not as outwardly so, Doyoung’s still nervous too, early pregnancies are fragile things and he can hardly bear to think about the state it would put either of them in if something unthinkable were to happen.

Time doesn’t slow down for Jungwoo to catch his breath as soon enough they’re both being led into a private room, Jungwoo being ushered aside to change into a gown and to take another stick test before he emerges with a nurse who ushers him onto the bed by Doyoung’s chair. There are more questions, simple enough that Doyoung can answer for Jungwoo while he’s busy wincing as his blood is drawn, and a flurry of information about what Jungwoo shouldn’t be eating, how much weight he should put on, which vitamins he needs to take. Doyoung’s glad it’s all written on the booklets he’s been given because judging by the look on Jungwoo’s face, DOoyung isn’t the only one worrying about how much of the nurse’s words really stuck.

“Your blood work won’t be done until around a week.” The midwife says as they tape a little cotton wool in the crook of Jungwoo’s arm. “We’ll give you a ring as soon as we get it back. I’ll go get the ultrasound tech and then you can have a look.”

Jungwoo’s shaky breath is the only thing filling the room once they’re left alone, a few moments where they both linger in limbo until the nurse returns with a woman in tow. She’s polite, gentle with Jungwoo as she ushers him to lean down on the bed, that eases Doyoung’s nerves a bit too.

It’s silent for a bit, both Jungwoo and Doyoung watching the tech who’s absorbed in the shifting image on the screen until she turns back around to the two of them with an easy smile. “Shall we take a look then?”

“Yes please.” Jungwoo’s voice is a bit thin. 

“See this bit here?” The midwife points to the screen and just there, right in the centre and surrounded by a shroud of grey, is a little foci breaking it all up. “There’s baby number one.”

“Oh, wow,” Jungwoo says. Doyoung looks just as lost for words. “It really is tiny.”

The tech shifts and the image moves with her, a few seconds of silence as Doyoung and Jungwoo reorient themselves. “And right here, just down and to the left a little, there’s baby number two.”

“Number two? there’s two?” Doyoung practically chokes out. 

“Yes, right here, do you see it? Congratulations, you’re having twins!”

“I’ll try to get a view of both of them to print for you.” Jungwoo nods, still speechless. “You were right about your dates, they look spot on six weeks and they look healthy too, two separate placentas.”

All her words seem like white noise to Jungwoo, unable to tear any of his attention away from the ultrasound monitor. He doesn’t even realise how hard he’s gripping the edge of the gurney until Doyoung’s fingers ease the grip from his own, letting them curl together instead.

“Jungwoo, we’re having _twins_.” Doyoung says in almost a whisper. When Jungwoo meets his eyes they look just as glassy as his are starting to feel.

“Can I look at the picture please?” As much as he’s absorbed in looking at the real-time image, the ultrasound probe isn’t all too comfortable. The tech gets the hint, moving away from Jungwoo to retrieve the print-out and return it to him.

“Since it’s twins, it’ll be a higher risk pregnancy so book your next appointment with an obstetrician. That’ll be in a month, okay?”

Doyoung nods, “Yeah, I’ll sort that out while you get changed, Woo.”

Jungwoo doesn’t think he’s ever moved so fast, eager to get back to the pictures he left with Doyoung. The midwife is still talking when Jungwoo gets back to them and Jungwoo does his best to concentrate on what she’s saying until eventually, she leads them back out.

Jungwoo’s so sure he’s going to cry the second they step out of the building but instead he just laughs, pure and full of joy. “Oh my god, Doyoung, there’s _two_. We’re having twins!”

Doyoung’s not doing much better, his eyes damp and his voice a little wet. “It doesn’t seem real, right?”

Stood here, in a half-filled parking lot with Doyoung on the verge of tears, Jungwoo is surprised how perfect it feels. “I can’t really believe it.”

Doyoung snatches Jungwoo’s half that’s swinging by his side as he walks so they can swing their arms together.“I know what your gonna say.” 

“What am I gonna say?”

“That it’s fate, that you didn’t get pregnant in the first two months.”

Jungwoo throws his head back and laughs. “Actually, I wasn’t gonna say it was fate ‘cause I knew you’d tease me if I did.”

“So you were thinking it though.”

“I bet you were thinking it too.”

Doyoung hums. “Maybe fate, maybe we’re just lucky, us two.”

Once they get back to the car, Jungwoo lets himself be guided to the passenger seat, hand still clutching the photographs even as he buckles his seatbelt. “I’m glad your happy.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t be?” Doyoung’s always dreamt of a big family, lots of children for him to raise and love. But in the past couple of months, he’d been focused so purely on just one that the sudden shift to not one but _two_ is bringing all those feelings back.

“No, not really. Honestly, I haven’t thought about much else at all since she told us there are two.” 

Jungwoo’s hand has drifted back down to his tummy, and Doyoung watches as his fingers absentmindedly rub small circles just about the top of his jeans, so light Doyoung wonders if he’s even aware he’s doing it. “I’m happy, so happy. I’d be happy with anything you can give us.”

“Good.” Jungwoo smiles, “‘cos I am too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super quick chap before i get swamped in work lmao
> 
> and surprise!! they're having twins!! who would have guessed hehehe

**Author's Note:**

> my [twitter](https://twitter.com/fivebiessings) or [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.qa/fivebiessings) :)))


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